Christianity And the Secular (Blessed Pope John XXIII Lecture Series in Theology and Culture) (Paperback)

~ (Author) "Lecturing in Cambridge six months before the outbreak of the last war, T. S. Eliot asked the question: Have we-he was, of course, thinking mainly..." (more)
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Editorial Reviews

Review

". . . The role of Augustine here is extremely important, and studies of Augustine will appreciate Markus' contribution. . . ." -- Catholic Library World, June 2007

Product Description

The history of Christianity has been marked by tension between ideas of sacred and secular, their shifting balance, and their conflict. In Christianity and the Secular, Robert A. Markus examines the place of the secular in Christianity, locating the origins of the concept in the New Testament and early Christianity and describing its emergence as a problem for Christianity following the recognition of Christianity as an established religion, then the officially enforced religion, of the Roman Empire.
Markus focuses especially on the new conditions engendered by the Christianization of the Roman Empire. In the period between the apostolic age and Constantine, the problem of the relation between Christianity and secular society and culture was suppressed for the faithful; Christians saw themselves as sharply distinct in, if not separate from, the society of their non-Christian fellows. Markus argues that when the autonomy of the secular realm came under threat in the Christianised Roman Empire after Constantine, Christians were forced to confront the problem of adjusting themselves to the culture and society of the new regime.

Markus identifies Augustine of Hippo as the outstanding critic of the ideology of a Christian empire that had developed by the end of the fourth century and in the time of the Theodosian emperors, and as the principal defender of a place for the secular within a Christian interpretation of the world and of history. Markus traces the eclipse of this idea at the end of antiquity and during the Christian Middle Ages, concluding with its rehabilitation by Pope John XXIII and the second Vatican Council. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 99 pages
• Publisher: University of Notre Dame Press (March 30, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0268034915
• ISBN-13: 978-0268034917
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #830,187 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating and informative survey of Christian history and the pervasive influence of Christianity on secular society, July 9, 2006

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

Christianity And The Secular by Robert A. Markus (Professor Emeritus at the University of Nottingham) is a fascinating and informative survey of Christian history and the pervasive influence of Christianity on secular society. Following the Christian movement from its earliest manifestations and describing its emergence as a government approved religion with the sanctioning of the Roman Emperor Constantine, as an established religion of the state, Christianity And The Secular reveals intriguing concisely documented facts and information on the inevitably blurring of the lines with respect to legitimate and proper autonomy of secular public life free from the religious control of Christian authorities. Part of the "'Blessed Pope John XXIII Lecture Series in Theology and Culture" published by the University of Notre Dame Press, Christianity And The Secular is very highly recommended reading for all students Christianity and Culture and a welcome addition to seminary and university level Christian Studies reference collections.